The Cotton Foundation
The Cotton Foundation is a public charity based in Cordova, Tennessee, that supports research, education, and related projects intended to strengthen the U.S. cotton industry. Its 2025 filing reports $416,414 in grants to 19 recipients.
The Cotton Foundation at a glance
In short: The Cotton Foundation gave $416K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), top state Texas. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $416,414
- +129.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +11.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $21,917
- +105.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $5,184,625
- +5.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (2 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (32% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Cotton Foundation
- How to Apply
The Foundation’s posted proposal process calls for a research proposal describing the project objective and significance, prior and current research, cooperator qualifications, work plan, timing and duration, any…
The Foundation’s posted proposal process calls for a research proposal describing the project objective and significance, prior and current research, cooperator qualifications, work plan, timing and duration, any co-sponsors, and a budget. Funds are for direct project expenses and may not be used for overhead or indirect costs. Funded projects must publish relevant results through a Beltwide Cotton Conference presentation or poster, including an abstract, or in the Journal of Cotton Science. The posted call was for the 2027 growing season; its July 1, 2026 deadline has passed, so that cycle is closed.
- Review Cycle
- July 1, 2026, for the posted 2027-growing-season proposal cycle; this deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- July 1, 2026, for the posted 2027-growing-season proposal cycle; this deadline has passed.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 783, Cordova, TN 38088
Phone: (901) 274-9030
Website: https://cotton.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Cotton Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Texas A&M Agrilife Research Services ($78K). Together the top 10 received $377K.
Grant Size Distribution
69 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 68 grants of 69 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest shares were directed to Texas (32%), Mississippi (16%), Tennessee (16%), Missouri (11%), and Louisiana (9%). These figures describe the locations of 2025 recipients and do not establish a broader geographic eligibility policy.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Cotton Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 17 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $43K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $43K first-time, $20K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $88K (2021) to $416K (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $416K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M Agrilife Research Services College Station, TX | Research and Education Related to Cotton | $77,500 |
| University of Missouri Portageville, MO | Research and Education Related to Cotton | $46,000 |
| Mississippi State University Foundation Mississippi State, MS | Research and Education Related to Cotton | $40,000 |
| University of Tennessee Jackson, TN | Research and Education Related to Cotton | $38,000 |
| Texas A&M Agrilife Extension & Research Center Lubbock, TX | Research and Education Related to Cotton | $30,000 |
| Mississippi State University Stoneville, MS | Research and Education Related to Cotton | $28,000 |
| Usda ARS College Station, TX | Research and Education Related to Cotton | $27,000 |
| Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA | Research and Education Related to Cotton | $22,505 |
| University of Georgia Tifton, GA | Research and Education Related to Cotton | $20,000 |
| University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN | Research and Education Related to Cotton | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Cotton Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,184,625 | $1,252,489 | $1,355,117 | $416,414 | 19 | $151,854 |
| 2024 | $4,921,119 | $1,225,596 | $1,040,834 | $181,500 | 17 | $82,071 |
| 2023 | $4,429,040 | $1,456,883 | $877,685 | $157,750 | 14 | $76,893 |
| 2022 | $3,669,566 | $980,959 | $650,349 | $160,500 | 12 | $48,813 |
| 2021 | $3,824,041 | $787,469 | $529,059 | $88,000 | 7 | $139,478 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The mission stated in the Foundation’s filing is “to encourage and aid education, scientific experimentation, and research relating to cotton.” Its website describes support for research to address cotton-industry problems, technology to apply solutions, education to speed research application, and communication across the production and marketing chain.
The Foundation’s listed 2025 grants went to universities, research organizations, and other recipients for purposes described as research and education related to cotton. For example, the University of Tennessee describes its own mission as promoting and aiding scientific, social, or educational investigation and research by assisting the marketing of technologies. Mississippi State University describes its mission as encouraging and promoting new technologies and research through work with business, industry, and the university.
The Foundation’s published research and education priorities include farm profitability; textiles, human health, and the environment; new or invasive cotton pests; cottonseed; cotton classing; ginning efficiency; packaging and distribution; traceability; plastic contamination; and educational outreach. Its 2025–2026 general projects include sustainability, pest management, cotton research, and industry education and information.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation gave 19 grants totaling $416,414. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $77,500, with a median of $20,000. The Foundation’s proposal instructions state that award amounts have historically averaged $30,000.
The largest listed 2025 awards included $77,500 to Texas A&M AgriLife Research Services, $46,000 to the University of Missouri, $40,000 to the Mississippi State University Foundation, and $38,000 to the University of Tennessee. The stated purpose for each was research and education related to cotton.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Matt Rekeweg as treasurer and Hank Jones, Travis Becton, Jennifer Crumpler, David C. Light, Eric Castner, Jeffrey D. Smith, Todd Rovey, Dean Calvani, and Ross Rutherford as trustees.
The Cotton Foundation is led by Phillip Edwards III, President since 2025 (on filings since 2022); none of the 19 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Phillip Edwards III
President
Trustee → President, 2025
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chad Brewer
Executive Director & Secretary
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sam Whitaker
Chairman
Trustee → President, 2024
President → Chairman, 2025
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dean Calvani
Trustee
President → Chairman, 2024
Chairman → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Castner
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey D. Smith
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Travis Becton
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Conner
Trustee
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Macie O'Shaughnessy
Trustee
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David C. Light
Trustee
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Crumpler
Trustee
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Todd Rovey
Trustee
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hank Jones
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jack Royal
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rogers Leonard
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ross Rutherford
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Drew Davis
Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary Adams
Executive Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Rekeweg
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Joseph Kelly Fenner (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Russell Sutton (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Don Parker (2021–2023) — Executive Director & Secretary
- Former: Jon R. Whatley (2021–2023) — Chairman
- Former: Douglas W. Rushing (2021–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Neal Isbell (2021–2022) — Chairman
- Former: Burleson Smith (2021) — Trustee
- Former: John H. Willis (2021) — Chairman
- Former: Mary Kay Thatcher (2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Cotton Foundation
How much does The Cotton Foundation give each year?
The Cotton Foundation gave $416K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $182K across 17 grants.
What is The Cotton Foundation's typical grant size?
The Cotton Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $21,917, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Cotton Foundation that year got $43K on average.
Where does The Cotton Foundation give grants?
The Cotton Foundation's top state is Texas, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Mississippi (16%) and Tennessee (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were College Station, TX (2 grants).
Does The Cotton Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on The Cotton Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Research and Education Related to Cotton" (19 grants).
Who are The Cotton Foundation's largest grantees?
The Cotton Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Texas A&M Agrilife Research Services ($77,500), University of Tennessee ($58,000 across 2 grants) and University of Missouri ($46,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Cotton Foundation?
The Cotton Foundation reported $5.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.3M.
What does The Cotton Foundation fund?
The mission stated in the Foundation’s filing is “to encourage and aid education, scientific experimentation, and research relating to cotton.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Cotton Foundation?
The Foundation’s posted proposal process calls for a research proposal describing the project objective and significance, prior and current research, cooperator qualifications, work plan, timing and duration, any… Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Cotton Foundation's EIN?
The Cotton Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-6048143. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024
Live grants for the work The Cotton Foundation funds
Food, Agriculture & Nutrition Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Cotton Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Cotton Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-cotton-foundation-morg_b4a29ac1671f47b59ef859c06e4cb338
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_626048143_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Cotton Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-cotton-foundation-morg_b4a29ac1671f47b59ef859c06e4cb338},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-25. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Cotton Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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